Letter to Household (Use the scrollbar to view the entire letter)PRINT

Children need healthy meals to learn. The Salem School District offers healthy meals every school day. For students in grades 1-5 lunch costs $2.20 per day and breakfast costs $1.10 per day. For students in grades 6-8 lunch costs $2.35 per day, breakfast costs $1.40 per day; and after-school snack costs $1.00; and for students in grades 9-12 lunch costs $2.60 per day, and breakfast costs $1.60 per day. Woodbury Lunch costs $2.25, Salem High School Lunch costs $2.50 and Adult Lunch costs: $3.25. Milk is $.55. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals or free milk. A reduced price breakfast is $0.30 and a reduced price lunch is $0.40 at all grade levels. Any After School Snack Program for children receiving reduced price meals is $0.20.

1. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD? No. Complete the application to apply for free or reduced-price meals or free milk. Use one Free and Reduced-Price School Meals or Free Milk Application for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to your child's school principal as soon as possible.

2. WHO CAN GET FREE MEALS? All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or the Financial Assistance for Needy Families (FANF) program, can get free meals regardless of your income. Also, your children can get free meals if your household's gross income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.

3. CAN FOSTER CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS?Yes, foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court, are eligible for free meals. Any foster child in the household is eligible for free meals regardless of income.

4. CAN HOMELESS, RUNAWAY, AND MIGRANT CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS?Yes, children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant qualify for free meals. If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions and haven't been told your children will get free meals, please call please call Director of Literacy & Homeless Liaison, Dr. Jennie Marshall,(603) 893-7040 to see if they qualify.

5. WHO CAN GET REDUCED PRICE MEALS? Your children can get low cost meals if your household income is within the reduced price limits on the Federal Eligibility Income Chart, shown on this application.

6. WHO CAN GET FREE MILK? All children in households receiving benefitsa from the Special Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) can get free milk regardless of you income. (Note: Free eligibility based on SNAP or TFA is extended to all children in the household when the application lists a SNAP or TFA case number for any household member.) In addition, your children can get free milk if your household's gross income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Guidlines. Households with children who are foster children, runaway or homeless, or are enrolled in the Headstart/Even Start Program should check off the appropriate box on the application and contact the school for assistance in receiving benefits. Note: Subsidized adoptions and subsidized guardianships are not automatically eligible for free milk. These require the calculation of all household income plus the adoption/guardianship subsidy.

7. SHOULD I FILL OUT AN APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING MY CHILDREN ARE APPROVED FOR FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS? Please read the letter you received carefully and follow the instructions. Call Michael Ouellette, Food Service Director, (603) 893-7077 if you have questions.

8. MY CHILD'S APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT ANOTHER ONE? Yes. Your child's application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new application unless the school has told you that your child is eligible for the new school year.

9. I GET WIC. CAN MY CHILD(REN) GET FREE MEALS? Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. Please fill out an application.

10. WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes, we may ask you to send written proof.

11. IF I DON'T QUALIFY NOW, MAY I APPLY LATER? Yes. You may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.

12. WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL'S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION? You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: Michael W. Delahanty, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, 38 Geremonty Drive, Salem, NH 03079 (603-893-7040).

13. MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN? Yes. You or your child(ren) do not have to be a U.S. citizen to qualify for free or reduced price meals.

14. WHO SHOULD I INCLUDE AS MEMBERS OF MY HOUSEHOLD? You must include all people living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives, or friends) who share income and expenses. You must include yourself and all children living with you. If you live with other people who are economically independent (for example, people who you do not support, who do not share income with you or your children, and who pay a pro-rated share of expenses), do not include them.

15. WHAT IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally get $1,000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only got $900, put down that you get $1,000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.

16. WE ARE IN THE MILITARY. DO WE INCLUDE OUR HOUSING ALLOWANCE AS INCOME? If you get an off-base housing allowance, it must be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income.

17. MY SPOUSE IS DEPLOYED TO A COMBAT ZONE. IS HER COMBAT PAY COUNTED AS INCOME? No, if the combat pay is received in addition to the basic pay because of the deployment, and it wasn't received before being deployed, combat pay is not counted as income. Contact Barbara Schultz, Food Service Director at 893-7077 if you have any additional questions.

18. MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS WE MIGHT APPLY FOR? To find out how to apply for SNAP or FANF assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office.

If you have other questions or need help, call Michael Ouellette, Food Service Director, (603) 893-7077.

FEDERAL INCOME CHARTFor School Year 2017-2018

Household size

Yearly

Monthly

Weekly

1

$22,311

$1,860

$430

2

$30,044

$2,504

$578

3

$37,777

$3,149

$727

4

$45,510

$3,793

$876

5

$53,243

$4,437

$1,024

6

$60,976

$5,082

$1,173

7

$68,709

$5,726

$1,322

8

$76,442

$6,371

$1,471

For each additional family member, add:

$7,733

$645

$149

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requires the information on this application. You do not have to give the information, but if you do not, we cannot approve your child for free or reduced price meals. You must include the last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member who signs the application. The last four digits of the social security number is not required when you apply on behalf of a foster child or you list a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) case number or other FDPIR identiﬁer for your child or when you indicate that the adult household member signing the application does not have a social security number. We will use your information to determine if your child is eligible for free or reduced price meals, and for administration and enforcement of the lunch and breakfast programs. We MAY share your eligibility information with education, health, and nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund, or determine beneﬁts for their programs, auditors for program reviews, and law enforcement officials to help them look into violations of program rules.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for beneﬁts. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.To ﬁle a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_ﬁling_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: